Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Continuum shows energy and verve. The wine expresses purity and precision, with high tone aromatics of red and blue fruit, deep plum and rose oil. This vintage shows an approachable nerve of the land in the refined mineral quality on the palate. The surrounding native vegetation of bay and sage is evidenced in an earthy, savory profile. This is a shimmering, silky and harmoniously integrated wine with densely packed fine grain tannins. 2018 Continuum is a wine for the ages, delicious today with a long life ahead.
Blend: 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesComposed of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple 2018 Proprietary Red has a fantastically fragrant nose of candied violets, red roses, Morello cherries and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of wild blueberries, red currant jelly, iron ore and forest floor, plus a waft of cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely packed with tightly wound black and red berry layers, framed by firm, ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with incredibly persistent and evocative floral and mineral layers. An absolute head-turner, this 2018 is all that and then some.
Barrel Sample: (98-100)
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Continuum Proprietary Red is wine on a singular pedestal. Site-specific and drawn from where the grapes were grown, this wine took me into another place for a while. Now that I have returned, this is one of the world's most outstanding wines! TASTING NOTES: This wine enters to room quietly before settling onto the palate with delicate and persistent red and black fruits. A shading of oak enhances what was already inherently there. (Tasted: April 7, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
This has incredible nuances and delicacy with power. It’s full-bodied with lots of gentle tannins that spread across the palate. The character is full of blackberry, blackcurrant and lead pencil. Some conifer and pine needles. Sage at the end, too. Savory. So long-lasting and layered. Such purity. It’s so complex and changes all the time in the glass. Goes on for minutes. 54% cabernet sauvignon, 31% cabernet franc, 9% petit verdot and 6% merlot. Organically grown grapes. So drinkable now, but will age beautifully.
Continuum is the culmination of four generations of the Mondavi family in wine. Tim and Marcia, along with their families, focused on finding an exceptional hillside site in pursuit of a wine that would rank among the greatest in the world. The Continuum estate is located on Pritchard Hill along the eastern ridge of Napa Valley, high above Oakville, Sage Mountain Vineyard is nested in nature, with rocky volcanic soils producing a small, precious crop. This site yields wine of power, depth, nuance and verve.
Tim Mondavi believes that wine is an artistic expression of man's harmony with nature and as such, the winegrowing practices at Continuum estate honor and support the vineyards through balancing the essence of classic techniques with modern day innovations and organic farming. Continuum's goal is to craft balanced wine of power, finesse and elegance - red wines that are expressions of the land, the people and the vintage.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.